Microbial and lignocellulosic biomass based dye decolourization

A huge volume of contaminated wastewater is discharged into the water bodies from textile industries. Therefore, water pollution is gradually becoming one of the major environmental concerns across the globe. Dyes used in the textile, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries represent a major portion of effluent wastewater. Though extensive utilization of dyestuffs make them valuable to human life, they also have a negative impact on the environment along with human health. Discharge of hazardous coloured wastewater from these industries into water bodies has caused many significant problems viz. increased toxicity as well as chemical oxygen demand of the effluent and reduced light penetration, which badly affects our fundamental activities. Dyes usually have a synthetic origin, having a complex aromatic molecular structure which makes them more stable and difficult to degrade. Dyes are not only recalcitrant and refractory but are also toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic in nature. So, there is an urgent need for its treatment and thus maintaining a clean environment for the survival of both aquatic as well as terrestrial lives. Considering such alarming situations, the present review paper mainly discusses the role of microbes as well as lignocellulosics used in dye decolourization.